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Month: March 2018

If you have been seeing small flies or gnats in your kitchen, they’re probably fruit flies. These pesky pests can be found throughout the world, in homes, gardens, warehouse, grocery stores, wineries, restaurants etc. They are readily attached to any number of materials, especially that of moisture. Fruit flies can be a problem year-round but are especially common during late summer/fall because they are attracted to ripened or fermenting fruits and vegetables.

But they also will breed in drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash containers, mops and cleaning rags. Hence, they also cause various bacterial diseases.

Fruit flies damage the larger proportion of agricultural production and even to crops grown in the gardens which are susceptible to attack by fruit flies. Commercial producers spend hundreds of millions of dollars on control measures and also suffered production losses.

Tomatoes, melons, squash, grapes and other perishable items are often the cause of an infestation. Fruit flies are also attracted to rotting bananas, potatoes, onions and other products.

You see, when a fruit is overripe or starts to go bad it begins to ferment, producing alcohol, which attracts fruit flies. They continue to gobble up the fermenting fruit, and in the process, lay hundreds of eggs which hatch into larvae in mere hours.

Female fruit fly lays their eggs into healthy, ripening fruit on the tree. Fruit flies lay their eggs up to 500 at a time!

When the larvae hatch, they feed on the moist surface too. The entire life cycle from egg to adult takes only about eight to ten days so they proliferate with great rapidity.

Many people are allergic to the bacteria carried by fruit flies, resulting in tiny red bumps on the skin.

The age has seen the worst fruit fly infestation like one mentioned below,

Worst fruit fly outbreak in five years

FEBRUARY 2 2015, The Border mail

The Border region has been hit by its worse fruit fly outbreak in five years believed to be the result of unseasonal summer weather.

In the past few weeks, humidity has caused a proliferation of the fruit fly menace in Albury and Wodonga.

The increased number of Queensland fruit fly are also causing major problems for fruit growers at Cobram and Shepparton.

The fruit fly scourge is only a recent phenomenon in the Goulburn Valley.

Victorian Fruit Growers Association president Gary Godwil said it was a big issue last year, but it was worse this year.

Mr Godwil said there was a significant expense involved in controlling the fly with considerable time needed to apply control methods such as baiting.

“It is a big cost to the whole industry, a massive cost. I am baiting every 10 days,” he said.

Spoiled fruit is worth a lot of money and Mr Godwil said it could not even be used for juice.

Fruit flies make Ghana mangoes unattractive worldwide

8th March 2013, Ghana Web

The dream of mango farmers in the country to go commercial particularly for export is marred by a huge challenge: this is because the prevalence of fruit-flies in many agro-ecological zones throughout the West African sub-region has resulted in infestation of the fruit, making them unsuitable for the international market.

Mango in Ghana is targeted as the next non-traditional export crop that is expected to fetch the highest foreign exchange for the country and replace cocoa, but infestation by the fruit-flies has mostly caused rejection of mango consignments from Ghana-to the extent of sometimes imposing a ban on imports from Ghana.

The current insecticides are being used to control this menace. However besides being toxic and harmful insecticides kill the species. Repeated exposure to insecticides builds up resistance in insects until finally, the insecticide has little or no effect. Frequent insecticide applications make the problem worse.

C Tech Corporation offers a range of non-toxic, non-hazardous anti-insect aversive, which can be successfully used to keep pesky creatures at bay.

Our product – TermirepelTM can be easily described as insect aversive, used against all types of insects and which works on the mechanism of repellency. It means that it does not kill the target insects but only repel them, thus balancing the ecology and helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability.

Our product works on the mechanism of repellency. It temporarily inhibits the mating cycle of the insects. The product impairs the ability of the insects to reproduce, that is the insects will not lay eggs or the laid eggs will be infertile. The product causes feeding disruption in an insect by triggering an unpleasant reaction within the insect which might try to feed on the application. The product temporarily blocks the reproduction system of the insects by hindering the release of the vital hormones for growth.

TermirepelTM masterbatch can be incorporated in agricultural films, mulches, irrigation pipes, agricultural devices, and equipment while they are manufactured. The applications, when used with our products, will keep the pests like fruit-flies at a bay and thus will protect the agricultural produce from these pests.

TermirepelTM liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a pre-determined ratio and can be applied to the fencing and garbage bins. The interior and exterior of the houses, schools, hospitals, offices, warehouses, restaurants, food courts and pantries can be painted using our liquid concentrate.

TermirepelTM lacquer which can be applied as a topical application. The lacquer is compatible with most of the surfaces like metal, wood, concrete, polymer, ceramic etc. It can be applied to the already installed applications like pipes,

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

Discovering “insects” in your breakfast cereal may be disgusting, but it isn’t unusual because many insects like to eat what we eat. Stored foods commonly infested include flour, cereals, cracked grains, baking mixes and processed foods, crackers, macaroni, cured meats, powdered milk, dried fruits, nuts, popcorn, and spices. Insects that feed on these products may also infest other grain-based items such as pet foods, birdseed, and ornamental corn.

Several stages (egg, larva, pupa, and adult) of these insects may be present at the same time in infested products. Because we keep our houses warm, these insects may continually reproduce and many stored product infestations can be found nearly any time of the year.

The first indication of an infestation is often the presence of small brown beetles, moths or worms in cupboards or on counters. Upon closer inspection, insects may also be found in opened packages or containers of food and in the cracks and crevices of cupboards. Unopened packages may also become infested because some of these insects can readily chew into cardboard and foil packaging. Insects can be brought into the home along with infested food products. They can multiply and spread to other stored foods.

The Indian meal moth is the most common food-infesting moth found in homes, grocery stores and any place where dried pet foods are produced or stored. Food infested with these insects will have silk webbing present, especially near the food surface.

These common insects scavenge and feed on an animal matter like dried meats, dead insects, hides, and woolens. The species that feed on wool and other natural fibers or blends are called carpet beetles. Closely related species, such as the warehouse beetle, varied carpet beetle, and larder beetle, have expanded their diet and also feed on grain and grain-based products. They are especially common in flour and cereals but also are found in candy, cocoa, cookies, cornmeal, nuts, pasta, dried spices and many other dry foods.

The Sawtoothed grain beetle is another very common pantry pest. It does not feed on intact whole grains but feeds on many processed food products such as breakfast food, bran, dried fruits, nuts, sugar, chocolate, and macaroni. It is especially fond of oatmeal and birdseed. These flat beetles can even get into sealed boxes and packages of food.

Stout beetles are common in homes where they attack pet food, cereals, spices, drugs, tobacco and other packaged foods. Because they closely resemble each other, they are often confused. The heads of both beetles are tucked under the prothorax and are not visible from above. Both are brown and about the same size.

The two beetles can be distinguished by their wing covers. The wing covers of the drugstore beetle have rows of longitudinal grooves, while those of the cigarette beetle are smooth.

Drugstore beetles: The drugstore beetle will feed on bread, but it will also feed on any dried, food-based material. It will damage book bindings. It has been found to perforate tinfoil and sheet lead and easily chews through the most food packaging material.

Cigarette beetles: The cigarette beetle derives its name from its serious infestations of stored tobacco. Adult beetles are about 1/8-inch long, light brown and oval. The most common food materials include pet food, cereal, peppers, spices, raisins, and seeds.

Flour Beetles

There are a number of species of tiny beetles that infest flour, but the two most common flour beetles are the confused and red flour beetles. These beetles are scavengers in that they cannot attack whole grains but rely on other insects to damage the kernels first. In homes, they can be found feeding on flour, cracked grains, cake mixes, beans, peas, dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, spices, and tobacco.

Granary and Rice Weevils

These insects damage whole grains or seeds. They generally do not feed on flour or cereals unless it has become caked.

Adult weevils are very similar. Both are dark reddish-brown and range in size from 1/8 to 3/16-inch long. They have a long snout projecting from the head and wing covers with distinct ridges.

They feed on whole grains, these insects are more likely to be a problem in grain bins and warehouses, but it is possible to have infestations in homes. Most common sources are popcorn, birdseed, decorative Indian corn, and nuts.

Now ‘bugged’ pakoda in IRCTC meal after dead lizard, cockroach

5 August 2017, News X

Mohammad Azad Ali, who was travelling in Sampark Kranti Express in Coach S-9 was shocked when he found a bug in the pakoda which was served to him by the train’s pantry service. The incident took place on August 2.

Incidents of dead insects, vermin being found in food served by Indian Railways are happening on the daily basis.

The quality just doesn’t seem to improve and such cases continue to happen even after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) after their survey of food being served by Indian Railways mentioned that it was unfit for consumption.

But amidst all this when the passengers are creating hue and cry, it’s hard to say whether the concerned authorities are taking any action to curb all this.

Woman bites into insect from iced coffee in Yishun’s coffee shop

By Mandy How, June 18, 2017, Mothership

In another episode of food-invading insects, a woman has discovered a black critter in her iced coffee by sucking and biting into it, no less.

The conventional methods used to get rid of the pests include use insecticidal baits, glue boards, and traps. However, these solutions are temporary and do not provide an effective solution against the pest nuisance in the pantry. The use of conventional fumigants, insecticides is no longer considered to be an effective solution to get rid of the insect infestation as these insects are becoming increasingly resistant to them. Also, fumigation is a tedious, time consuming and an expensive method and is highly toxic. Exposure to such chemicals for a long time can cause damage to lungs, nervous system and even paralysis in severe cases. Therefore, we are in an urgent need of an infallible plan to combat the problem of increasing number of insects.

Termirepel™ is a blend of smart technology and green chemistry which is developed against these insects. It is the best solution which not only reduces insect infestation in food and pantries but also reduces the colonial expansion.

Termirepel™ an anti-insect additive at C Tech Corporation product is an ideal solution for the prevention and control of insect infestation in food and pantries.

Termirepel™ is available in many forms i.e. masterbatch, liquid concentrate and lacquer.

Termirepel™ liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a pre-determined ratio and can be applied to the interior and exterior of food storage rooms, kitchens, and pantry, food warehouses etc. to keep pests out of these places.

Termirepel™ lacquer can be directly applied directly to the already installed applications like the wooden and polymeric racks and pallets, kitchen trolleys, etc. used around the areas of food.

The masterbatch can be incorporated in the polymeric applications used for storing foodstuff. The polymeric racks, pallets, food containers etc. can be manufactured using our masterbatch.

Our product works on the mechanism of repellency. It temporarily inhibits the mating cycle of the insects. The product impairs the ability of the insects to reproduce, that is the insects will not lay eggs or the laid eggs will be infertile. The product causes feeding disruption in an insect by triggering an unpleasant reaction within the insect which might try to feed on the application. The product temporarily blocks the reproduction system of the insects by hindering the release of the vital hormones for growth.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

The dreaded earwigs we have heard all the horror stories connected with them. As a kid, a lot of us remember being told that earwigs would burrow into our ears while we were sleeping with those menacing looking pincers, they have been making children everywhere terrified to leave their ears exposed when camping ever since. But the contrary to popular legend they do not climb into ears and lay eggs in the brains. That is just not true.

You can quickly recognize an earwig due to their pincers that protrude from their flexible abdomens. They look very menacing and can be intimidating to anyone that comes into contact with them. Now, these pincers aren’t made to hurt people, but rather to ward off predators, catch prey and play a role in mating rituals. They rarely bite, however, if they do they can cause a little pinch.

These scary little insects want a comfortable environment that is out of the weather. They will move inside when the weather gets cooler, find a wet basement or another moist area indoors and take up residence for the winter months. They are attracted to light and will crawl around looking for tiny crevices, holes or gaps that create an entryway into your humble abode, and they don’t’ need much room to crawl through since they are somewhat flat.

Whether they are indoors or outdoors, they are feeding on dead plants and insects and the females are laying eggs and tending to their young. In other words, they are growing their population, which means an annoying infestation in your home and yard. And, nobody wants a bunch of earwigs scurrying around day and night.

European earwigs can cause substantial damage to seedling plants and soft fruit as well as to sweet corn. Damaged seedlings may be missing all or parts of their leaves and stem. Leaves on older plants, including fruit trees, have numerous irregular holes or are chewed around the edges.

Earwigs may attack soft fruit such as apricots, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries but don’t harm hard fruit such as apples.

With the warm weather this week,coastal residents are seeing an increase in certain critters in and around their homes.

Mary Cottle of Morro Bay was out on her porch this week when she noticed her garden overrun by the intruders.

“They are all over the place. They were crawling on my windows,” said Cottle. She says not only were the earwigs crawling around her, the uninvited guests tried to follow her inside her home. “They were very, very much trying to get into my house. It was like a horror movie.”

But her home isn’t the only one to be invaded this week. Exterminators at Brezden Pest Control have been busy picking up phone calls.

Earwig invasion: Pincer bugs wriggle into S.F. Homes

July 1, 2016,Argus Leader

Kristy Seiler returned from a peaceful vacation to find her home overrun by six-legged intruders.

“They were everywhere,” said Seiler. “In the sinks, in the drain, in the gas burner, in my son’s keyboard, on the walls.

The sight of the tiny, roach-like pincer bugs was enough to make Seiler want to move, she said, but her home isn’t the only one to be invaded this summer.

“I have two young kids, and I would find (earwigs) by the dozens in their sock drawers,” Johannsen said.”I’d take out a folded shirt and three would fall out.”

Johannsen said she thought it was just her house, but after posting on social media, she learned several of her friends were having issues with earwigs, too.

Earwigs actually are beneficial insects, most of the time. They’re part of a large group of creatures that are sanitary engineers; they help clean up the environment by feeding on decaying plant material and live and dead insects.

The current insecticides are used to control this menace. However, earwig is a hardy insect and the chemicals used in most over-the-counter products are completely ineffective to an earwig infestation but can be very dangerous to the home.

C Tech Corporation offers a range of non-toxic, non-hazardous anti-insect aversive, which can be successfully used to keep this pesky creature at bay.

TermirepelTM offered by C Tech Corporationcan be easily described as insect aversive, used against all types of insects and which works on the mechanism of repellency. It means that it does not kill the target insects but only repel them, thus balancing the ecology and helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

TermirepelTM masterbatch can be incorporated into wires, cables, pipes during the manufacturing process, also in agricultural films to protect crops.

TermirepelTM liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a predetermined ratio and can be applied to walls from houses, schools, hospitals, restaurants, warehouses etc. to keep these pesky pests away from these areas.

The product available in the form of lacquer can be applied as a topical application on fences, wooden objects, furniture, walls, ceilings etc. to keep earwig away from homes, buildings as well as from the crops.

Our product works on the mechanism of repellency. It temporarily inhibits the mating cycle of the insects. The product impairs the ability of the insects to reproduce, that is the insects will not lay eggs or the laid eggs will be infertile. The product causes feeding disruption in an insect by triggering an unpleasant reaction within the insect which might try to feed on the application. The product temporarily blocks the reproduction system of the insects by hindering the release of the vital hormones for growth.

The repelling mechanism of the product would ward off the earwigs and other insects.

During summer months there are many things in our yard that demand our attention. But while we are keeping everything looking nice there may be a problem that is forming on your trees and shrubs without you even noticing. Scale insects are so small that you may not notice their presence on a tree until they begin doing some real damage.

Scale insects are a class of insects named for the protective scales that cover their bodies. They are typically very small (up to 1/8 of an inch) and without any legs, they move quite slowly if at all. Scale insects usually survive by finding a good spot along the veins of a leaf and sucking the sap from the leaf. As long as the leaf continues to provide an adequate supply of sap, they will happily set up camp and stay.

While this sounds like a nice arrangement for the scale insect, it doesn’t really work out so well for the tree or shrub. A healthy tree produces a lot of sap and one scale insect probably wouldn’t do much damage. However, like many pests, these insects reproduce rapidly and each new generation will find a comfy spot, usually on the same tree, and start sucking away. The euonymus variety of scale insects can produce up to 3 generations each year! A constant drain of sap will eventually take its toll on the tree or shrub.

In addition to putting stress on your trees, scale insects also make a mess in and under your trees. As they are gorging themselves on sap, these little creatures are also excreting a sticky substance all over the leaves on which they live. This substance, romantically known as honeydew, covers tree leaves as well as dropping onto the ground or anything else parked under the tree. If left undisturbed, honeydew will often lead to the formation of a black sooty mold.

Let us look at some evidence caused due to these pesky little insects

Scale insect attacking coastal vegetation raises concerns

16/6/2017,LSU Ag Center

The insect, Phragmites scale, is attacking Roseau cane, a plant that grows profusely along the coast. It is considered vital to the fragile marsh’s longevity because the plant’s root system binds the delicate soil. Large stands of the cane have been decimated by the pest, starting in the Mississippi River delta in Plaquemines Parish, and it has been found in other areas.

“This is the next new threat to Louisiana’s coast,” said Randy Myers, assistant secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. “This is a significant problem.”

It’s unknown how the scale insect arrived in Louisiana, Diaz said. It has been intercepted in previous years at ports in Hawaii and California.

The scale could be spread by birds, floating pieces of Roseau cane or boats, he said.

UW-Extension: Scale causing sticky mess

August 24, 2015,WalworthCountry Today

Christine Wen began fielding calls earlier this month from Fontana and Williams Bay residents puzzled by the sticky sap covering not only plants but cars and patios.

The culprits, said Wen, a horticulture educator at the University of Wisconsin-Extension Walworth County office in Elkhorn, is an explosion of scale insects on many different species of mature trees in the area.

There are several different types of scale, but the insects all feed by sucking large amounts of sap from trees, Wen said.

The insects are more of a nuisance to people. Wen said when scale feed on the sap of leaves and twigs, they secrete a sticky liquid called honeydew. The liquid, which is often mistaken for sap, coats tree leaves and branches, and drips down to whatever is beneath. The honeydew is also a source of food for sooty mold fungus, which results in a black crust over surfaces.

The current insecticides are being used to control this menace. Due to the protective scale which covers these insects, they are often resistant to normally sprayed insecticides. So what can we do to eliminate these tiny pests?

At C Tech Corporation we offer a safe and effective solution to deal with these insects. TermirepelTM is a non-toxic and non-hazardous product that primarily repels insects from the application. The best feature of this product that it is environmentally safe and causes no harm to insects as well as for humans.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

TermirepelTM is available in the form of the masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer which can be applied topically on the applications.

To keep the insects at the bay TermirepelTM can be sprayed or coated on the tree trunks.

The masterbatch can be incorporated in plastic mulches, tree guards, agricultural films etc. used to cover trees.

The liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a pre-determined ratio and can be applied on the concrete fences around the trees and farms. This will prevent the pest entry into the areas of plantation.

TermirepelTM is effective against a multitude of other insects and pests like beetles, mayflies, thrips, aphids, etc.

Our product works on the mechanism of repellency. It temporarily inhibits the mating cycle of the insects. The product impairs the ability of the insects to reproduce, that is the insects will not lay eggs or the laid eggs will be infertile. The product causes feeding disruption in an insect by triggering an unpleasant reaction within the insect which might try to feed on the application. The product temporarily blocks the reproduction system of the insects by hindering the release of the vital hormones for growth.

The repelling mechanism of the product would ward off the scale insects and other insects that could damage the trees. Thus by using TermirepelTM would effectively ensure that trees remain safe and protected for a long period of time.